Seasonal trends in the diagnosis of tuberculosis at Kigali University Teaching Hospital, Rwanda.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious global health problem with an estimated 9. 6 million new cases and 1.5 million deaths in 2014 alone. Research in several countries reveals there might be an association between seasons and the presentation and diagnosis of patients with TB. METHODS This was a retrospective chart review performed at the tertiary level care center, Kigali University Teaching Hospital (KUTH); from January 2016 to December 2017. We documented patient demographics in addition to TB status, time of season (rainy or dry), HIV status and culture status. RESULTS In the overall population, Males made up 58.2% of included patients. More positive TB results occurred in the dry season compared to the rainy season (OR= 1.35). Adults were more likely to be diagnosed with TB compared to children (OR= 14.7, p=<0.001). There was no relationship between HIV and TB status (p=0.73). CONCLUSION TB is a deadly infectious disease and is prevalent in almost every part of the world. Our study confirms that TB detection does vary with season with more diagnoses occurring in the dry season. This study might help physicians to plan for which period of the year they would expect more TB patients, and, therefore set protective measures and establish guidelines on how to properly handle patients. The government should also strengthen education about TB awareness at the level of the community.